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You have a big job of mentally reframing what is "good" food. I agree with the others that you will be able to have those foods again, in limited portions, but the bigger job is to start training your brain to love the healthy foods and start despising the unhealthy ones. Ice cream and simple carbs are the seducers that got you into trouble in the first place. You have to start thinking about them in term of what they actually do to your long term health. An exercise of CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) in overcoming addictive behaviors is to make a list of all the benefits of healthy foods (lower cholesterol, lower glucose levels, lower BP, weight loss, anti-oxidants, vitamins, etc) and a list of the bad things unhealthy foods will do (increased weight, BP, glucose, lipids, depression, loss of quality of life, higher rate of heart attack, cancer ,and stroke, decreased longevity, etc.) If you practice this daily, your brain really will start to "re-wire" to seek out a delicious food choice rather than a poor one, and you will have increased endorphin release by making the choice. Healthy choices are part of the lifestyle changes you agree to tackle when you agree to WLS. Don't obsess on the ice cream. You'll have it again, eventually. But use this first year to make the lifestyle changes and rewire your thought patterns so the sweets and treats will never take you down again. PS: Another thought. Before surgery, I cannot count the number of times i would pray, "Please, God, I'll give up anything if You can just help me get this weight off." Then I had surgery and the weight came off. I am dead serious in saying that if I NEVER can have a bite of ice cream or sugar again, it is a sacrifice worth every single day of being a normal weight and having my life back. The fact is that you have to be willing to give up the junk if you want the health. You can't keep flirting with the food that made you fat in the first place. You can't have it both ways. Until you really hardwire the healthy habits and healthy food, don't put yourself in the way of temptation by entertaining thoughts of the junk food.

Hey Guys, I am newly posting but have been reading along since last year. I got sleeved on March 4th, 2020. The day I got the surgery the hospital I was in had 2 covid cases, and then the city shut down. I haven't been to a support group meeting (obviously because covid) but thank you all for your post they have been my support since. I just wanted to check in with anyone else that may have had the surgery in March to see how you are doing? I have been feeling a bit depressed lately. I don't know if it's from the pandemic or the slowing of my progress or a combination of all. I have lost a total of 70 lbs since March but I haven't lost anything for the past 2 months and it's depressing me. I did lose a lot of inches but it has been hard to get workouts in and I am getting concerned about the loose skin. I got the surgery at 243lbs and am currently 172 lbs. I am thinking of going back to a soft foods diet but I barely get 1000 calories in a day. Just looking for some other stories or support/suggestions here. BTW I don't regret a thing and good luck to everyone that is going through the process!

I am so happy to see some fellow lap banders out there still fighting the good fight and sharing some positive stories. I've had my band since March 2008. I lost the majority of my weight in the first 6-9 months (from 200lbs down to 140lbs, i'm only 5'2") and managed to stay within a maintenance range for the past 12+ years, which included 2 pregnancies and a my fair share of fluctuations along the way. In the past year i have made some more habit changes that led me to drop another 20ish pounds leaving me at about 120-125lbs at 5'2". I have didn't have a physical adjustment (a fill), to get me there, as i've had good restriction for the last few years, but it was a mental adjustment that got me there for sure! I can totally relate to the feelings you're having about going back in for an adjustment, and especially to the situation where a lot of the members of my old practice had left. But the thing is, the lap band is ALL ABOUT ADJUSTMENTS! That's how our tool works! Going back in and checking on your band and seeing if you need an adjustment is the best thing you can do for yourself! And you know what, it will probably take more than one adjustment to get you to the right spot! And that is just fine! That's how it works with the band. In fact, they'll likely do a full check (complete with barium swallow) on how your band is looking and how your restriction is looking and that is a good thing too! We need to take care of our tool. An adjustment is probably just want you need...but don't forget to make it more than just a fill! Bring back some of the behaviors that led to succeed the first time around! Best of luck and hope to hear an update on how you're doing!

I hope things improve and I'm glad you are able to look on the bright side!! Praying that your kitty makes it home safe and sound!

I really think i had an advantage when it comes to this having been a previous LB patient. Its a whole lot different when you CAN'T eat it vs SHOULDN'T. As the band got tighter, bread, rice, grits, some potatoes, drier meats like port, white chicken, veggies like asparagus, fruit like apples.... just would not go down. If i even tried it would get stuck and have to "uneat" it. So i just stopped. I really thought it would be harder, but after a few times of throwing up... you learn to stay away. Now with the sleeve, it's super easy as i have just gone back to that way pretty much. a few weeks ago i found myself dipping my toe in the deep part of the pool..... realized that it was/is a dangerous place to be. So back to the kiddy pool so to speak. Last night i cooked one of my favorite meals..... smothered chicken (boneless thighs) green beans and rice.... I sooooo badly wanted the rice.... but i stayed away. I found the wanting of these things never go away, but the acting on them can.

weird hormone things are pretty common after surgery. Supposedly it's because estrogen is stored in fat, and when you have a rapid weight loss, a bunch of it gets released. Many women experience mood swings and screwed up menstrual cycles the first few months after surgery. But yes - it does stabilize after awhile.

That sucks. I suffered a few "ball drops" during the process. My advice is stay on them. Thats what I did. Insist that you see another shrink, or whatever it takes to get your paperwork submitted. Talk with your surgeon if you can. He can make things happen if he wants to. Good luck.

I agree. If you tell yourself "I can never have _______" again, you will probably want it MORE! I went to dinner with my sister, and while I did not let them leave the bread basket (luckily she is also on a diet), I did have two amazing bites of cheesecake...and that was enough! I brought the rest home and told my son "Eat it or throw it away!" so I wouldn't be tempted. I know that I can't keep those things in my house, but if I'm out, then I will indulge (a little!).

+1 for the chapstick i also brought a bottle of biotin spray for the unbelievably sore/dry throat that i woke up with after the surgery. (everything else I brought was left untouched in my overnight bag...well except my phone)

Congratulations for working towards a plant based diet. I am 5 months post op, and it is absolutely doable! As for protein, there are so many options. Let me count some ways....broccoli, beans, legumes, nuts, peanut butter, chia seeds, hemp hearts(omega 3), nutritional yeast, tofu, tempeh, setian, viral wheat gluten, most plant based pastas, quinoa, sprouted grains, oats, nut butters...ooh boy! That was a lot 🤣😂 There really is a lot of options out there. I have started to make my own unmeat crumbles. I didn’t learn this way overnight, but I didn’t get this fat overnight neither. My thinking on this WLS for me, is I took a drastic change to lose the weight, and I took a drastic change to keep it off. I comend anyone who is changing there lifestyle after this surgery. My surgery date was 12-12-19, and I have lost 68 lbs. I am living my best life, and I feel the best I have ever felt!